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NORTHUMBRIA BACKPACKERS
The web site of the
Northumbrian members of the Backpackers Club |
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Norway - Finse
19 - 25 March 2000
(Photos:Ross Mellows & Graeme Boydell)
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From Finse (1222m) we
skied across the frozen lake of Finsevatnet & followed the route, marked
with sticks south. The cloud was right down & the wind whipping up
spindrift so after about 3 miles we found the best shelter we could to
pitch the tent. The temperature was just above freezing which made
conditions inside the tent miserable. Condensation couldn't escape due
to drifting snow stifling the ventilation. This was not what we where
expecting in Norway! Next morning my sleeping bag was pretty wet - my
breathable bivvy bag hadn't been able to cope with the humid conditions
in the tent. Due to the high winds the next day we decided to stay put,
venturing out in the morning to extend the wall we built to protect the
tent. |
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Finse station 1222m
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The following day the weather
was little better but we couldn't lose any more time so headed back the way
we'd come foregoing the planned camp on the wind scoured Hardangerjökulen for a night in the
Finse hotel! They had a great drying room
& as we were the only guests we had it all to ourselves! The next
morning the wind had died down & it was a lot colder but the cloud still
obscured the views. By late afternoon it was -10°C & the wind had returned
so we chose to snowhole.
The following day dawned brighter & with little wind & by mid morning we had
sunshine , blue skies & our first real look at the mountains around us. We
had an unexpected snow shower when a locomotive fitted with a snowblower
exited from the end of the five mile long tunnel from Finse just as we were
crossing above the mouth of the tunnel! We could see the distintive shape of
Såta ahead of us & that night camped at it's foot on top of a frozen tarn.
Despite the sunshine it was now a lot colder which made camping a lot more
pleasurable, any snow we brought into the tent on our clothes easily brushed
out. This was an excellent camp with a clear, starry night & a morning
bringing more sunshine & blue skies. Although marked as a winter route on
our map there was no birch wands marking this part of the route but the
weather meant navigation was straightforward. We skiied down Såtedalen for a
way & joined the marked route south to Finse. We made better time than we'd
anticipated & by mid afternoon we were pitched outside Finse. A Norwegian
party camped about two hundred yards from us had sledges & huskies whose
howling gave a real arctic feel to the camp. We celebrated a successful trip
by skiing into Finse by torchlight & downing some very expensive lager in
the hotel. (Ross Mellows) |
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Heading south from Finse
across Finsevatnet |
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Striking camp one in wild
conditions |
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Ross Mellows, snowhole above
Tågavatin |
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Såtedalen
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Graeme Boydell, west of Såta |
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Camp below Såta |
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Dusk at the final camp,
Finsevatnet |
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